Supporting means for curtains and the like



Marsh 16, 1954 F. F. LouDoN SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CURTAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Deo. 29, 1949 INVENTUR MMM IM y @477% W ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING MEANS FIOR CURTAINS AND THE LIKE 5 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in supporting means for curtains and the like, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features in construction as pointed out broadltr and specically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of acceptable forms of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise support hooks for curtains and retention means for the same mounted to the curtain; to furnish curtain support hooks that are easily detached from the curtain and which will always be replaced in the same position; to furnish a supporting means for curtains, drapes and the like which may be used to maintain the heads of the same in pleated formation while hanging from the rod; to facilitate the hanging of curtains; to construct a supporting means for curtains consisting of few and simple parts, easily and inexpensively manufactured; and generally to provide supporting means for curtains which are durable in construction, easily applied to the curtains or drapes and being suflicient for their purpose.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a curtain pleated and supported on the rod by a hook unit.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a hook member.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of a curtain showing the pocket strip secured in position to the back of same along its top edge.

Figure 4 is a sectional View as taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a curtain having a modied type of support hook engaging a curtain pole ring.

Figure 6 is a view of the modified form of support hook shown in use in Figure 5.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsr in the various figures,

Referring to the drawings, the curtain supporting means consist of hook members, as indicated by the numeral I0 and a pocket strip or hook mounting il nxedly secured to the curtain I2 and having pockets I3 into which the hook members are inserted, the hook i4 of the member IB fitting over the curtain rod I5.

The pocket strip I I extends approximately the entire width'of the curtain and is secured to lthe back 'of the same along the top edge. Thissection I I is made up of any suitable resilient fabric material or any other type of a resilient mate- 2 rial, the material Ibeing folded over and having the front fold or face I6 terminate short of the bottom edge of the back fold I1, the bottom edge of the front fold being stitched, i3, to the back fold in a manner to form pockets. The stitching I8 extends horizontally along the bottom edge of the front fold for a predetermined distance and then vertically upward to adjacent the top edge of th-e strip of section II` extending horizontally and then vertically downward to be continued along the bottom edge of the front fold; a series of pockets thus being formed in the section, being spaced apart along its length. These pocket sections I3 are iiat, rectangular shaped and of comparatively narrow width, each being closed at the top and open at the bottom.

The pocket strip as thus fashioned is purchased, along with the hook members It, and is iitted to the curtain or drape, being placed flat against the back of the curtain, the top edge of the pocket strip being even with the topedge of the curtain, and sewn thereto, the stitching i9 extending along the top edge or adjacent to same. The bottom of the section I I is sewn to the curtain, the stitching 2G extending along the edge of the extending lower portion 2l of the back fold of the section.

The hook member I0 is a unit comprising four pocket engaging fingers 22 and a hook I4 located between the two center lingers and directed substantially at right angles to the plane of the fingers.

This member I0 is made of a single piece of material, preferably wire, fashioned to form inverted U-shaped fingers of narrow width and having rounded upper ends. The outer leg 23 of each of the end ngers is slightly longer than the rest of the unit, extending below the bottom of the fingers and the hook, and having the end turned upwardly in the form of an eye, 24, to provide blunt ends.

The hook I4 is integral with the nger portion of the member, one leg of each of the center ngers being bent to continue as the back of the hook, extending approximately half the length oi the fingers, then outwardly and downwardly to form the hook, the bottom end of which is approximately level with the bottom of the fingers of the unit and above the eyes 24.

In hanging the curtain, a number of hook units sufcient to properly support the saine are secured in the pocket strip. The four fingers of the individualmember l are inserted up into four consecutive'pockets, thecurtain and its at tached pocket strip being drawn into, pleated formation, the pockets being brought into position for the insertion of the ngers of the hook member, which fingers when inserted upwards into the pockets, maintain the curtain in position, three pleats 25 being so formed automatically with the insertion of the four fingered hook member, the hook Ui of which is positioned on the outside of the pocket strip to enga-ge the curtain rod or pole I5, as shown in Figure l.

Instead of three pleats, two pleats may be formed, if desired, by merely positioning three of the fingers in pockets, the fourth finger positioning itself fiat against the outside face of the pocket strip; likewise, a single pleat may be made by the use of but two of the lingers.

The hook member lil at no point grips or fastens to the pocket strip or to the curtain itself, the hook fingers being freely inserted up into the pockets, the weight of the curtain holding the bottom edge of the front fold l' of the pocket strip on the bottom of the hook member.

In the modification shown in Figures and 6, the curtain 35 is folded down at the top along its length, the fold 42 being stitched at di along its entire length.

Pockets 28 are xedly secured to the outside face of the fold 42. These pockets are each formed by a strip of flexible material, such as tape 3%, extending vertically upward from the bottom of the fold 42 and being stitched, dit, thereto along the sides and top to form a closed top and open bottom. This tape 3S is preferably folded over double, this construction forming a stronger pocket.

A modified type of hook member il is used with this form of pocket arrangement. The hook member 21 has but a single finger 2%, being a length of wire bent to form the inverted U-shaped finger, the one leg of which, Sli, is provided with an eye portion 3l at the end thereof, the other leg of the finger being shorter than the first and being bent outwardly and upwardly at 32 extending vertically upwards in a section 33 approximately half the length of the nger, and then being outwardly and downwardly bent to forni the hook portion 34. The hook portion 34 terminates short of the lower end of the back 33. The hook extends outwardly from the finger portion of the member at approximately right angles to the plane thereof.

The hook member 21 is engaged with a pocket by the insertion of the single ringer 29 in the pocket, the hook portion being secured through the eyelet 36 on a curtain pole ring 37, or, the hook may be iitted directly to the curtain rod or pole 38 itself.

It will be noted, in connection with the four iingered hook unit shown in Figures 1 and 2, that upon the curtain being taken down off the curtain rod and the hook members detached from the pocket strip, that the curtain attens out, the pleats now being non-existent, and the curtain may be washed or otherwise cleaned and ironed, fresh pleats being formed upon the insertion of the fingers of the hook members in the pockets of the pocket strip prior to the rehanging of the curtain.

It is of course understood that modifications and ramications may be made without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinabove described and illustrated.

What I claim is:

1. For use with a drape having at its upper end a plurality of vertically extending horizontally spaced parallel tunnels or loops closed at their upper ends and open at their lower ends, a pleater and supporting means having four inverted U- shaped pocket engaging iingers of narrow width and having rounded upper ends and disposed in a single plane and a hook located between the two center iingers and directed substantially at right angles to the plane of the fingers, said hook having the supporting portion thereof below the rounded upper ends of the fingers.

2. In supporting and hanging means for curtains and the like having a series of horizontally spaced apart downwardly opening narrow parallel pockets on the inner side adjacent to the upper hanging end, said supporting means comprising a Single length of wire-like material having a hook portion and having a series of vertically disposed U-shaped fingers connected to and extending outwardly from opposite sides of the hook portion, the said non-perforating lingers being arranged in spaced substantially parallel relationship to one another and being disposed in a single plane substantially at right angles to the hook portions with the loops of the U-shaped portions disposed upwardly.

3. In supporting means for curtains and the like having a series of spaced apart downwardly opening narrow pockets or tunnels on the inner side adjacent to the upper hanging edge, said supporting means comprising a single length of wire-like material looped and brought together in its middle portion and forming a suspending hooi; portion having the bill thereof extending outwardly and downwardly, said single length of material being looped upwardly from the lower part of the hook and then being looped over and downwardly and looped outwardly and upwardly and then looped outwardly and downwardly in the provision of two substantially U-shaped pocket engaging lingers on each side oi the hook with the arms of the U-shaped portions lying in a single plane substantially at right angles to the extent of the bill of the suspending hook portion.

d. In a supporting and hanging and pleating device for curtains and the like having a series of horizontally spaced apart downwardly opening narrow parallel pockets on the inner adjacent to the upper hanging end, said supporting device comprising a single length of wire-like material doubled in its middle portion and brought together and formed to provide a suspending hool-r portion with the bill of the hoolf. portion extending outwardly and rearwardly and downwardly, said length of material extending on opposite sides of the lower part of the suspending hooi; portion in spaced apart upv/ardiy extending lengths turned over and then returned downwardly providing four substantially U-shaped non-periorating pocket engaging iingers with two each on opposite sides of the hook with the arms of the U-shaped lingers lying in a single plane substantially7 at right angles to the extent oi? the hooi: portion and withthe loops of the U-shaped pocket engaging fingers disposed upwardly.

5. The combination of a drapery curtain having a pleater pocket strip applied transversely at the upper hanging edge of the curtain and said pleater strip being provided with a plurality of spaced apart vertically extending parallel pockets open at their lower ends and closed at their upper ends, said pleater strip being secured to the curtain at its upper and lower edges to leave the lower ends of the pockets open and unobstructed, a supporting hanging and pleating hook ,member amada;

having four elongated upright non-penetrating pocket entering ngers of substantially the same length extending upwardly in closely disposed horizontally spaced relation, said fingers having blunt upper ends and being disposed in a single plane for insertion upwardly into the open ends of a plurality of said pockets, and a supporting hook portion located between the two middle fingers with the hook portion thereof disposed rearwardly and substantially midway of the length of said fingers, said fingers being more closely spaced and brought together than the spacing of the pockets whereby the fingers when fitted endwise upwardly into said pockets cooperate to draw the upper edge of the curtain together in a pinch-pleat arrangement with the several fingers each supporting a pleat through substantially the entire vertical extent of the pinch-plaat and supporting each pleat laterally and forwardly and rearwardly with the upper ends of the fingers in the pockets having closed upper ends supporting the curtain against sagging upon the fingers of the supporting member.

FLORENCE F. LOUDON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 834,188 Carr Oct. 23, 1906 1,090,040 Fleming Mar. 10, 1914 1,143,100 Brewington June 15, 1915 2,012,734 Steiner Aug. 27, 1935 2,252,070 French Aug. 12, 1941 2,294,607 Peck Sept. 1, 1942 2,512,376 Perlmutter June 20, 1950 2,558,467 Solomon June 26, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,522 Great Britain 1904 151,108 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1920 

